Claimed
by melinda08
Summary: Alternate, fluffy AU ending to season four. Bethyl fans may not like, but that's all right. Turns out, Daryl had learned one basic rule from Joe's group. CARYL!


**This is a very AU alternate ending to season four. Warning: Bethyl fans may not like this (okay, they won't). **

**Setting: the group has slowly been reuniting- no crazy Mary or whatever (yet)...just a simple reunion and righting some major wrongs of this season.**

As the group took in the sight of each other, seeing friends, family- loved ones- that they were too scared to admit to, but all had felt it- that they thought they might never see again, a lone noise came from down the tracks.

Beth clung to Daryl. "We should get out of here."

Daryl didn't say anything, but stepped in front of Beth to get a closer look at what was making that noise.

Rick looked at Carl, then the rest of the group. Maggie and Glenn, although happily reunited, were tired and in dire need of rest. "Come on. We can't really take in anyone else, if we don't even have a place to go ourselves."

Carl looked at Rick briefly, but watched as Daryl slowly broke away from the group and headed towards whatever-whoever was making that noise.

"Daryl! Come back! You can't save everyone!" Beth cried out, while Sasha wrapped her arm around the young girl. Sasha didn't know what-or if- anything had happened between Daryl and Beth, but even she knew that once in a while, Daryl needed to do his thing, whatever that might be.

Daryl took one look, then looked back. "Rick, Carl. You best come here."

"You need my help?" Beth cried out, but Sasha just shook her head.

Carl looked at his dad, then they headed to where Daryl had stopped. There. Right where Daryl was standing, they both saw what had made Daryl call for them. And it was right there, just for that moment, that everything they'd all been through, all they'd loved and lost- were temporarily set aside. Rick grinned at his son, then he took a few steps in front of Daryl.

"Carol..." he laughed so hard he could hardly breathe. "You have my daughter! Judith...what...how...you weren't even at the prison when...Oh my God, Carl. She's alive! Your sister is alive!" Rick laughed through his tears.

The group had slowly made their way towards them, and there was barely a dry eye in the group. Even Michonne wiped her eye. When Carl looked at her, she just smiled and said it was dust.

Sasha couldn't believe her eyes, either. She let go of the younger Greene girl, who just looked on in confusion.

"Tyreese..." she tried to grasp for breath. It had been a hell of a journey, and she had been one who'd been ready to give up so many nights. Ever since the walkers took over...everything, really, it had been her and her brother against the world. But not only was he alive, he was standing right in front of her, and she eagerly embraced him.

"Judith..." Rick couldn't stop saying his daughter's name. "Carol...how..."

Carol, ragged, weary, worn, just looked at Tyreese. "It was him. I just helped, a little."

Tyreese pulled back from Sasha. "Don't let that little lady fool you, Rick," he started. "If it weren't for Carol, your daughter..."

"It's best we not speak of such things. All that matters is this little girl is happy and healthy and she wants her daddy back," Carol grinned and handed Judith off to Rick.

Both Rick and Carl were too busy embracing Judith, and Sasha and Tyresse, and Maggie and Glenn...they didn't notice Daryl walk up to Carol. But Beth did. So she joined him.

"Carol," she declared cheerfully. "You're alive! After what happened...we thought for sure we'd never see you again."

Daryl didn't even take his eyes off of Carol. "I knew."

"You did?" Carol grinned.

"This is perfect! Rick and Carl have Judith, Maggie has Glenn...Daryl, you still wanna run off?" Beth smiled at him.

Carol looked at Beth, then looked down at the ground. Of course. Daryl would have forgotten about her. She couldn't begrudge him any kind of happiness, even if she was kind of hoping that she'd be the one to make him happy once upon a time.

Daryl looked at Beth. "I can't. I'm claimed."

Beth and Carol were confused, but Rick knew exactly what Daryl was talking about. Daryl had explained the rules of the gang he'd been associating with, how they got to be their own little group, before...well, before. Rick grinned and looked at Carol, but she was so confused she hadn't even noticed.

Daryl took a deep breath. "Remember that day, that day at the prison? We were outside, I guess you were checking on me and I was kind of checking on you..."

Carol grinned. "Are you talking about when I called you Pookie?"

Beth laughed. "I'd never call you _that_,"

Daryl briefly looked at her. "No. You wouldn't." His reply was soft but firm, and so Beth, realizing she didn't really belong in that scene, stepped back to join Maggie and Glenn.

"Anyways...remember what you said to me?" Daryl asked Carol.

Oh, of course she did. But did he? "You mean besides Poo..."

"Besides that," Daryl quickly interrupted, causing the group to chuckle. Daryl shot them all a look, then returned his attentions to Carol. "You said you liked me first. Remember now?"

"Yeah. I do."

"That means you claimed me..under the rules..."

"Rules?" Carol asked.

"Don't ask," Rick, still clinging tight to Judith. "Just hear him out."

Daryl half-nodded at Rick, then looked at Carol. "You claimed me. Guess that means I'm yours."

Carol, still in shock of finding the group, let alone this...this, whatever it was coming from Daryl...all she could do was smile.

"Aren't you going to kiss her?" Carl laughed, and Michonne playfully nudged his elbow.

"Not if y'all gonna stare or something," Daryl responded in frustration.

"Come on, son. There's a pretty tree off in the distance. Why don't we...all of us...go have a look. It's cool, _Pookie. _We ain't looking," Rick teased.

Daryl rolled his eyes, but Carol surprised him. Before he could respond to Rick and Carl's teasing, she leaned forward and kissed him. It wasn't the kind of kiss that all little girls, no matter how old or young dream about. It was clumsy, awkward, and their lips barely even grazed. But that didn't matter, not to Carol nor to Daryl.

"Now what?" Daryl couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Wanna screw around?"

He looked up to say something smart, but the way she laughed when she said it, the gleam in her eyes...it all came back to him. Turns out he wasn't the only one who'd forgotten their many conversations.

"I'm just kidding. Kind of. Yeah, I'm kidding," Carol laughed. "The others are going to go for a walk, wanna join them?"

Just then the conversation was broken up by the sound of Judith crying. "I think she needs me."

Carol walked over to help Rick, but he shook his head. "Carl and I, we got this one. Why don't you and Daryl go for a little walk or something?"

"You want me to look for food or whatever?" Daryl asked.

Rick shook his head. "Na. Not this time...brother."

Carol looked at Daryl, but she knew better to press him. He'd explain when he was ready.

"How about that walk?" She offered, hoping to break the uneasy, good but uneasy tension that had formed between them.

"Sorry I don't got my bike no more," Daryl muttered as they turned to start their small walk.

Carol leaned against his arm, and sighed contentedly. "I'm not."

Then she took his hand, and although they were both nervous as hell and she could feel his palms working up a good sweat, she knew that they were in a good place. They'd found their friends, they found each other. Even in the end of the world, were sickness and creatures and man men all clamored for a place to rule, Daryl and Carol both realized that for the first time since , well, maybe since either of them either lived, they were headed down a good road. And that was a very good place to start.

The end


End file.
